New Coke is Hardly New
Sat through an advertising agency presentation the other day. It was filled with references to New Coke, Tylenol and Apple Computer. Trouble was the company being pitched was a small organization without any of the aforementioned’s budgets.
Wassup with marketing people? Do we constantly cite these tired old references to big company campaigns because we can’t think of anything else? Or have we developed this kind of knee jerk shorthand about our history? (Apple=good; New Coke = bad). None of the non-marketers in the room were following of even cared. The other marketers just closed up and thought, “Ok, I can sleep through New Coke.”
Marketers, our lexicon is tired. Get some contemporary examples or just don’t use them at all. New Coke, after all, was new 30 years ago.
Wassup with marketing people? Do we constantly cite these tired old references to big company campaigns because we can’t think of anything else? Or have we developed this kind of knee jerk shorthand about our history? (Apple=good; New Coke = bad). None of the non-marketers in the room were following of even cared. The other marketers just closed up and thought, “Ok, I can sleep through New Coke.”
Marketers, our lexicon is tired. Get some contemporary examples or just don’t use them at all. New Coke, after all, was new 30 years ago.
Never doubt the power of the Internet. While the brutal Myanmar government cracks down on communication from the country, people are finding ways to funnel information through cell phones and the Net. 
, but far less than anywhere else.) Plus, they’re always cooking up free samples. Yum.
The beauty of the Internet is that you can be a lot older than 17 and host a highly successful site for 17-year-olds. It happens all the time, right?
Because we know you stay up late, wondering the fate of Mikey, the kid who eventually downed a bowl of cereal and Bob's Big Boy's "Big Boy" (which always seemed creepy), here's 
Ever wonder how some companies come up with their senseless mission statements? You know what I mean: “We are committed to the highest values based on the pursuit of excellence and unquestionable forward thinking.” 
Does this look familiar? It’s the Spanish architect Gaudi’s most brilliant cathedral. Gaudi was a master at new design. He introduced new archways and added fluidity to architecture never before seen. He experimented with gravity when designing his structures. To many, he is the father of modern architecture.
cuments in a library. We query the database, find the information we're looking for, and (hopefully) access it. We don't read Web sites from beginning to end. We dip in, find what we're looking for, and get out.”
Canada's biggest phone company has apologized after a punk-rock reference to the Holocaust appeared on billboard advertisements for its cell phones.
I am in San Francisco today for a very short visit. Every time I’m here, I get nostalgic for the time I lived in the city. There are good reasons for loving this place. Here are 10:
It's Rosh Hashanah. A new year. A good year. A year of peace.
I am so tired of all the blather about Clinton’s likeability factor. For that matter, I’m also tired hearing about Obama’s supposed lack of experience.
and well, I usually don’t give great phone. But now I’m going to try to do better.
Check out this creepy image from 
Here's something we probably all knew already...word of mouth trumps all forms of advertising for the "trust factor." That's nothing new. However, take a look at media such as Web sites, permission-based emails and consumer opinions posted on line. All of these rate higher for consumer confidence than traditional newspapers, tv or radio. That's a bit surprising. 
Found this brilliant example of "who approved the ad?" on 
In the past week, I've traveled to Paris and then to Madison, WI (one for pleasure, the other not -- you can guess which is which).
One sunny aspect of the mortgage industry melt down ... no more LowerMyBills.com flash ads popping up all over your Yahoo screens. Yup, those dancing cowboys, aliens and apartment dwellers are getting harder to find.